Local President's Page

May 2016 Update

If you’ve been watching your bulletin boards, you know that negotiations over the terms of the 2016 National Agreement have been extended indefinitely. Certainly, we’ve seen contract negotiations extended before; but indefinitely, that’s a bit unusual. So what do we make of this development?

During the contract meeting, which was recently held in Washington, DC, the National Union updated the Local Presidents on the status of the new contract. National President Paul Hogrogian and the Members of the Negotiating Team identified the areas of potential agreement as well as the obstacles that remain in the path of a final settlement. I could tell from the description of events that no effort was spared in the pursuit of our next contract.

The fact that negotiations have been extended indefinitely, seems, at least to me, that both parties remain optimistic that a negotiated agreement can be reached. While there may be agreements on certain items, everything is contingent on securing the complete package.

I was also recently at a Branch Meeting Fargo. The Fargo Branch is experiencing changes to start times and off days due the implementation of a new annex facility. That building will house an APBS which is a new piece of equipment for that facility. The Fargo Representatives are focused on minimizing the impact felt by the Membership as a result of these changes.

Finally, I would like to express my congratulations to Recording Secretary and Minneapolis Branch President Dean Abatte who was elected to serve as a Delegate to the LIUNA Convention. Dean and I will be in attendance at this convention in September.